Italy dethroned Spain with a style and application utterly lacking in an England side who surrendered in embarrassing fashion to tournament underdogs Iceland.
That spelled the end for Roy Hodgson on a day of drama and despair at Euro 2016.
Italy 2 Spain 0
A tactical master class from Italy ensured that Spain’s second defence of their European Championship crown ended at the Round of 16 stage.
Antonio Conte’s 3-5-2 system enabled the team to press from the front, forcing David de Gea to clear long on frequent occasions, while the Azzurri midfield starved their exalted Spanish counterparts of any time and space.
If not for De Gea, who made five saves, three of which were outstanding, Italy would have been home and hosed long before Graziano Pelle (8.5) swept home substitute Matteo Darmian’s (5.4) injury-time cross.
They had taken the lead in the 33rd minute, Giorgio Chiellini (6.0) stabbing in after De Gea could only parry an Eder (6.5) free kick, with Emanuel Giaccherini (5.1) supplying an assist to move into second overall in the Uefa game.
Pelle and Eder worked superbly together up front, finishing with three attempts apiece, with the Southampton striker also creating two chances.
Alessandro Florenzi (6.9) retained his place in the continued absence of Antonio Candreva (7.5) through injury and excelled at right wing-back, putting over a match-high six crosses, creating a chance and completing two interceptions for solid DraftKings returns.
Vicente Del Bosque changed his forward line three times, to little effect, with Alvaro Morata, owned by 25% of Uefa game managers and the second most popular pick (at 28%) in our daily captaincy poll, largely anonymous.
Indeed, it was a defender, Gerard Pique, who came closest to scoring, only for Gigi Buffon (6.0) to react smartly to his lunging attempt.
That would have been harsh on an Italian side who out-fought and out-thought their opponents.
‘Together Stronger’ is the motto Wales have adopted in recent times, but it sits just as well on an Italian team shorn of stars but full of grit, intelligence and unity.
With an average age a shade under 29 years, Italy have the fifth oldest squad at the tournament, and that could well be a factor as the big matches pile up.
Throw in a peaking Germany as their quarter-final opponents, and things aren’t exactly going to get easier, but if they come close to the performance levels they managed against Spain, they will be a match for anyone.
Italy also managed to get through with just the one player suspended for the Germany tie – Thiago Motta (4.9), usually only used as a substitute.
England 1 Iceland 2
England exited Euro 2016 in wretched fashion, tamed by an Iceland side who took their chances and then sat back and watched the Three Lions fall apart.
The received wisdom was that if England scored early, Iceland would be forced to abandon their deep-lying set-up, providing Roy Hodgson’s pacier team with the attacking space denied them in the tournament to date.
It didn’t quite work out that way.
Hodgson seemed to have developed a taste for big calls in France, and recalling Raheem Sterling was his latest gamble. Three minutes into the match, it paid off when the much-maligned Manchester City man earned a penalty that Wayne Rooney converted.
That was as good as it got for England.
The lead lasted precisely 34 seconds, Ragnar Sigurdsson (5.5) latching on to Kari Arnason’s (5.5) flick to level.
Another Joe Hart blunder in the 19th minute then handed Iceland an unlikely lead, the England goalkeeper failing to keep out a low shot from Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (6.9) despite getting a hand to it.
The stats told a familiar story – England dominated possession (69%-31%) and attempts (18-8), but managed just four shots on target. Iceland had five.
Our Captain Poll favourite, Eric Dier, proved a major disappointment after he was hauled off at the break as Hodgson unsuccessfully opted for Jack Wilshere to turn matters around for his struggling side.
Hodgson stood down after the match, a desperate end to an underwhelming four years, with his last fixture in charge particularly abject. England lost possession 17 times, had 19 bad touches and forced Hannes Halldorsson (5.0) into just three saves.
Iceland’s tournament has more than a whiff of Greece in Euro 2004 about it, but their players will still struggle to appeal in the Uefa game, given they face France in the next round and, potentially either Germany or Italy, should they proceed past the tournament favourites.
The six goals they’ve scored have been shared among six different players, they’ve kept no clean sheets and have managed just 31 attempts – Ukraine, who went home after three matches and no goals, had 39.
It’s a slightly different story in DraftKings, where Sigurdsson’s goal, three fouls drawn, two tackles won and five interceptions brought big returns.
However huge the pressure will be on France, they will surely handle it better than England, reducing Iceland’s players to the role of budget enablers and DraftKing utility slots.
